Jonathan, Obasanjo’s unending conflicts

June 8, 2014 by Bayo Akinloye

Jonathan and Obasanjo | credits: File copy

It is widely believed that President Goodluck Jonathan succeeded late President Musa Yar’Adua largely because of the role former President Obasanjo played to ensure his ascendancy. BAYO AKINLOYE X-rays the relationship between Obasanjo and Jonathan, which started well but turned sour, shortly after

The latest in the series of accusations and counter accusations between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan climaxed on Saturday, May 31. That day, Obasanjo, in an interview he granted to Bloomberg TV, criticised Jonathan for failing to act swiftly to rescue the over 200 abducted Chibok schoolgirls. The girls have been with Boko Haram since April 14 this year.

Jonathan, he alleged, did not believe the pupils were abducted until 18 days after.

He said, “On the kidnapping or abduction, the President did not believe that those girls were abducted for almost 18 days. If the President got the information within 12 hours of the act and he reacted immediately, I believe those girls would have been rescued within 24 hours, maximum, 48 hours.

“Don’t forget, they are almost 300 girls. The logistics of moving them is something. Unfortunately, the President had doubts; ‘Is this true? Is this a ploy by some people who don’t want me to be President again? Who is doing this?’ I think that was the unfortunate aspect of the whole exercise or situation.”

But, what is till date regarded as the most virulent reproof from the ex-president to the incumbent was the 18-page, December 2 letter. In it, Obasanjo accused Jonathan of pursuing “selfish, personal and political interests”. He openly criticised the President for failing to deliver on his promises to Nigerians and to curb insurgency and corruption in the country; alleging that “Jonathan had betrayed God and Nigerians” who voted him into power.

Obasanjo also lamented that Jonathan did not act on the report of his earlier fact-finding mission in 2013 to resolve insurgency, claiming that if the President had done so, the situation might have improved.

“I went to the President and asked if I could take it upon myself for a fact-finding visit. I want to find out things. The President was gracious and said ‘I trust your judgment. You can do that’. There was a lawyer, who knew most of them (insurgents) and their leaders. He acted as proxy to talk to them and talk to me. He communicated my arguments, my ideas and my questions to them.

“I reported to the two most important principals – the state governor and President at that time. I believe that if action had been taken at that time, as recommended, maybe we would not have got to this stage,” he said.

Not only had Jonathan failed in rescuing the girls, Obasanjo said the President had also failed to live up to expectations in the administration of the country.

“It is not about disappointment; I don’t believe he has performed up to the expectations of many Nigerians, not just me. I always tell the President himself; ‘if God doesn’t want you to be there, you won’t be there.’ But having been there, you have to perform. That is what I believe. When you get there, no matter how, just perform and keep on performing,” he stated.

The former president’s latest scolding of Jonathan in the Bloomberg interview is reminiscent of the interview he granted a US-based cable channel, the CNN. In the interview, Obasanjo berated Jonathan over the manner he had been handling the Boko Haram’s insurgency.

Obasanjo told the CNN in January last year that Jonathan’s administration had not been reaching out enough to the violent Islamist sect and urged him to use what he described as “carrot-and-stick” strategy to resolve the sect’s crisis. According to the ex-president, the incumbent president has been applying less of dialogue and more of force in halting the widespread menace of the terrorist group.

He said, “To deal with a group like that, you need a carrot-and-stick approach. The carrot is finding out how to reach out to them. When you try to reach out to them and they are not amenable to being reached out to, you have to use the stick. He’s doing one aspect of it well, but the other aspect must not be forgotten.”

Prior to this statement, the famous Ota farmer, had shocked his audience in Dakar, Senegal, during an event to review the unemployment situation in the West African sub-region tagged, West African Regional Conference on Youth Employment, when he predicted that a revolution was looming in Nigeria if the high rate of youth unemployment under the watch of President Jonathan was not addressed.

Also, at an occasion marking the 40th anniversary of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor’s ministry, he described the President as a weak leader, pointing to his government’s lukewarm approach to end the violence engulfing the North-East.

Not long ago too, Obasanjo chastised Jonathan and his team for wasting the country’s foreign reserves. “We left what we call excess crude; let’s build it for the rainy day –up to $35bn. Within three years, the $35bn disappeared. Whether the money disappeared or it was shared, the fact remains that $35bn disappeared from the foreign reserves I left behind in office. When we left that money, we thought we were leaving it for the rainy day”.

Jonathan, however, has not taken all the criticisms in good faith. For one, he considered the ex-president’s public letter as “most reckless, baseless, unjustifiable and indecorous”.

“We however find it highly unbecoming, mischievous and provocative that a letter written by a former Head of State and respected elder statesman to President Jonathan has been deliberately leaked to the mass media in a deplorable effort to impugn the integrity of the President and denigrate his commitment to giving Nigeria the best possible leadership”, said Reuben Abati, the presidential spokesman.

There are, however, divergent public reactions to Obasanjo’s criticisms of Jonathan.

A public affairs analyst, Fred Agbaje, told SUNDAY PUNCH there was nothing wrong in the ex-president’s frequent criticisms of the incumbent.

He said, “It will be wrong for him to have kept quiet. Obasanjo has the constitutional right to freedom of expression on any matter of public interest. He also mentioned that he had made several suggestions to the presidency, all to no avail.

“As an elder statesman, he has the moral right to speak out against the action or inaction of the current administration. Whatever Obasanjo has said is what is in the public domain. Jonathan is not performing. It would have been wrong for Obasanjo to keep quiet as a former president. I would have expected the commander-in-chief of the country to rise to action the next day the girls were abducted.”

But, while agreeing that the ex-president had the democratic right to air his view, a security expert, Segun Elijah, said Obasanjo’s motive for doing so was ulterior.

“It is true Obasanjo has the democratic right to speak in public against Jonathan as much as he deems fit. He doesn’t need any presidential permission to speak. The fact that he’s a former president doesn’t mean he’s ruled out from speaking publicly against the government.

“I am only concerned about his motive for criticising the president. It is obvious Obasanjo doesn’t want Jonathan to run for a second term. This is a point of friction between the two. Looking beyond that though, it may be that the former president is only concerned about saving the country from total chaos. If it will stop the insurgency we currently face, I think it will be morally right for Jonathan to bid goodbye to his yet-to-be announced second term ambition as the president,” Elijah stated.

Like Elijah, the national coordinator of Women Arise, Joe Okei-Odumakin, expressed similar view concerning the ex-president’s reason for constantly criticising President Jonathan. She said Obasanjo’s diatribes were meant to score political points.

“In all fairness, I don’t see Obasanjo’s statement coming with any good intention other than another opportunity to score political point. This, if you observe, has become the approach by our politicians, particularly when election is near. This, nonetheless, does not underscore the fact that all isn’t well with our security situation; neither does it exonerate the President from responding to the demands of the Nigerian people to have the Chibok girls rescued.

“This is not an unexpected statement from a typical Nigerian politician. This is not a moment for another drama of exchange of words. Our current situation calls for maximum sober reflection and concerted effort at ensuring that the Chibok girls are rescued and security is guaranteed for those Nigerians living in the areas under insurgent attacks. That is what I expect of the President for now,” Odumakin said.

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“In all fairness, I don’t see Obasanjo’s statement coming with any good intention other than another opportunity to score political point. This, if you observe, has become the approach by our politicians, particularly when election is near.” – Odumakin

Are you for real, Madam?

Would OBJ be scoring political points so that he canbecome the governor of Ogun State or Chairman of Ota – Ado Odo local government?

Let truth be told, Madam.

OBJ was a major factor in foisting this failed leadership on Nigeria. He has a moral right to regret and renounce his Frankenstein!

http://ibezimforgovernor.org/ ibezimforgovernor.org

Its sad how you let your sense of judgement to be clouded by sentiments… We all know OBJ has no moral justification to open his mouth… His letter was well replied by GEJ and every Nigerian saw OBJ for what he was and is… Including his daughter… He only is regretting cause the Loyal boy he got is now being loyal to Nigerians… Who he should rightfully be loyal to… On what OBJ has to gain in attacking GEJ, we all know OBJ would rather Tinubu be the president than anyone… But it is never possible… And as for you, I read your tribalistic comments on punch everyday… So I am not surprised where your sentimental views are coming from.

NIGERIAN

you dont live around here do you? becos u are commenting off key….GEJ loyal to Nigerian? he is not even loyal to otueko his village…we see a fisherman’s son trying to feel among the elites and silverspoon brats….creating more opportunities for them to loot us blind….lessier ferrie kind of leader….when he opens his mouth to speak either by himself or through his pea brain aids….its calamity that comes out.
in a sane society the man is a political suicide bomber….he would hv destroyed himself and his party politically.

Kay Soyemi (Esq.)

Many thanks, Nigerian.

The likes of Ibezim looks in the mirror, decides they don’t like what they see and quickly dash onto Punch forum to see whom they could point to as the reflection in their mirror – it is my turn this morning but I am not perturbed.

He got it upside down, the moment he chose to label me as a tribalist and his keke NAPEP crashed the moment he wrote that OBJ wants Tinubu, of all people, as President! The same Tinubu, whose LASG allocations were blocked for umpteen years by the same OBJ!

Abeg, no mind that man wey be say him go open mouth commot gibberish before hin even think! Na opposite person him be as Abami Eda go put am!!

kabiru

Let the truth be told at all times The Yoruba’s tribal sentiments has no equal

Kay Soyemi (Esq.)

Is the “iru” in your name gaining ascendancy in your being?

http://ibezimforgovernor.org/ ibezimforgovernor.org

And that is your opinion.. Which i could careless about… Next time give me facts… Well you can’t give me facts when all your party does is give you opinions!

NIGERIAN

We care less about your opinion too…what other fact do you need? Lets say May God manage your life the way GEJ is managing Nigeria….say amen to dat and lets rest this case.

malamdugu2000

When you took precious time to deal or roll out those unsubstantiated and non-corroborated rubbish, did you you back them up with facts? How on earth would any sane being think Obasanjo wanted Tinubu to be president? Without any further hesitation, you should visit the psychiatrist because that is the only explanation that can justify what you just said. How were you promoted in school?

kabiru

God in Heaven will bless you and your generation to come for
being bold enough to say the truth, they people are too tribalistic and highly
sentimental don’t mind them we know our president come May 29th 2015.

OBJ and Tinubussssssssssssssssssssssssssssss will have time
to recount their loses.

God bless Nigeria

Omooba

The questions are these, did GEJ reacted quickly enough to rescue those girls and is GEJ’s performance a grade A performance, no. OBJ is not the only person complaining, the reason we are talking now is because OBJ is saying what Nigerians are saying. Me, I know where my vote will go come 2015. He can still win my heart if he lift up his performance. Am open.

callstar20

From the man who razed ODI to the ground. Surely, Jonathan does not need any lesson from the odious Obasanjo. The day he starts listening to this depraved man will be the day, Nigerians will withdraw their support for this administration.

Abdullahi Likita Dahiru

Obasanjo has the right to castigate Jonathan especially as Jonathan was wrong

government

How fast did OBJ react in 2001 when the sharia system was launched in some states in the north.How fast did he react during the orgy of violence that claimed more than 10,000 lives.How fast did he react before kaduna state was divided along religious lines.Till today kaduna State consists of two nations-kaduna north for “muslims” and Kaduna South for “Christians”.What was his reaction to kidnapping which became more pronounced before the 2003 elections.What was the state of health care,roads, electricity before he left in 2007.To be fair to OBJ,he tried his best but there is no way problems that had been there for more than 30 years would have been solved within the eight years of his presidency.Thus it is uncharitable of OBJ to expect GEJ to address all the problems besetting us within 3 years.His criticisms of GEJ are not altruistic.Nation building is a gradual thing.Elders are expected to choose their words carefully.Spewing out destructive criticisms just to massage one’s ego isn’t the hallmark of true statesmanship.Look at the way he(OBJ) lent support to the Sanusi allegations of missing billions in his infamous letter to GEJ. What will he say now that the allegations have been found to be baseless.As a former president,he knows that security issues are more delicate than he is presenting it to the public.The problem here is OBJ’s public persona as saintly and valiant, while all others are timid and incompetent.

Omotolaaraujo

GEJ is just one of Obasanjo’s many mistakes. He lives to regret his support for Jona.

Anene A

Nation building is a collective responsibility. Igbos say that he who does not know where the rain started beating him may not likely know where it stopped. Its high time we Nigerians embark on Nation building instead of continuous bickering and backbiting which will not serve us any good.We need to learn the civilized manner in which to engage in political debate so as to contribute constrctively to NATION BUILDING.